1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector device provided in equipment used by drawing and inserting an IC card, and in particular, to an eject mechanism for discharging an IC card that is inserted.
2. Description of the Related Art
Usually, connector devices each are schematically constructed with a pin header section where multiple pin contacts for connecting to socket contacts in an IC card are located in a pin housing, a frame guiding the IC card at the time of draw and insert, an eject mechanism for discharging from the pin contacts the IC card that is inserted, and the like, and connector devices where a pin housing and a frame are molded in one piece are also well-known.
Hitherto, the connector devices for IC cards widely adopted are those that each are constructed with a push rod that is held on the external side of the frame so that reciprocation motion along the direction of drawing and inserting the IC card can be performed, and an eject bar rotatably supported on the frame or the pin housing, and in which an end of the eject lever is engaged with the push rod. A connector device for an IC card providing such an eject mechanism has a disadvantage that, if the push rod is pushed in when the IC card is inserted, the IC card can be easily drawn with fingers by a hook section of the eject lever, rotating with interlocking with this push rod, pushing the IC card to the near side. However, since the push rod projects to the near side, the push rod is erroneously operated against user's intention during the time of connecting the IC card.
Against this, a connector device for an IC card disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 6-13072 comprises first and second transfer levers performing link connection between a push rod and a slide plate, a third transfer lever attachable to and detachable from the second transfer lever pivoted by the first transfer lever, and a heart-shaped cam mechanism that can hold the push rod at pushed-in and projecting positions, and is constructed so that a pushing force may be selectively transferred to the slide plate according to a projection amount of the push rod. Thus, in inserting the IC card, although the push rod is held at the pushed-in position and the third transfer lever does not engage with the second transfer lever, if the push rod is further pulled to a second projecting position in the near side after projecting the push rod by a first projecting position by the heart-shaped cam mechanism, the third transfer lever engages with the second transfer lever at the second projecting position. Hence, if the push rod is pressed toward the pushed-in position in this state, the pushing force is transferred to the slide plate through each transfer lever, and the slide plate pushes the IC card to the near side. Therefore, it is possible to prevent discharging of the IC card against user's intention by the push rod being held at the pushed-in position when the IC card is inserted and being projected to the second projecting position only when the IC card is discharged.
In this manner, according to the connector device for an IC card disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, since the push rod can be held at the pushed-in position during the time of connecting the IC card and the push rod is projected only when the IC card is discharged, it is possible to prevent discharging of the IC card against user's intention. Further, if a user mistakenly makes the push rod project in spite of a user not wishing discharging of the IC card, the push rod can be held again at the pushed-in position without discharging of the IC card. Hence, it is possible to increase operability of eject operation.
However, this has a problem that, since three times of operation, that is, operation of projecting a push rod, which is held at a pushed-in position, to a first projecting position, operation of pulling out the push rod, which is at the first projecting position, to a second projecting position, and operation of pushing the push rod, which is projected to the second projecting position, to the pushed-in position are necessary at the time of usual eject operation, the eject operation is complicated. In addition, this leaves a problem that, if the push rod is mistakenly projected to the second projecting position, the IC card is discharged against user's intention. Furthermore, this has an additional problem that, since three transfer levers link-joined are provided between the push rod and a slide plate, and a pushing force of the push rod is transferred to the slide plate or is shut off according to a posture of each transfer lever, a wide space for rotating each transfer lever is necessary, and hence, miniaturization of the connector device for an IC card is disturbed. In addition, there arises another problem that, owing to these reasons, each transfer lever has to be located inevitably in the ceiling side or bottom side of an IC card inlet, especially, in case of a connector device for IC cards that can accept two or more IC cards, a plurality of respective transfer levers has to be stacked vertically with securing a sufficient space, and hence, the connector device for an IC card becomes large also in the height direction.